A Brilliant Pearl in Southern Taihu Lake
Dai Biaoyuan, a famous poet of Yuan dynasty, thus described huzhou in his poem:
Hills leaning out in groups from Mount Tianmu,
Waters weaving a network by the vast Lake Taihu.
Touring all graceful places south of Yangtze River,
Huzhou is the best choice where to reside for ever.
Huzhou is situated at the north of Zhejiang Province, and borders the vast Taihu Lake. Neighboring Shanghai on the east and adjoining hangzhou on the south, Huzhou lies at the junction of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui three provinces. As an important cities opened to the outside in Yangtze River Delta, Huzhou is one of the 14 major cities to be planned and developed with high priorities, announced by the State Council, so as to echo the development and opening-up of Pudong, Shanghai. Adhered to the municipal strategies that incorporate Great Shanghai Region and merge into the economy of Yangtze River Delta, Huzhou's municipal economy has been undergoing a rapid, sustainable and healthy development and its comprehensive strengths have been enhanced vigorously. In the year 2004,Huzhou achieved a GDP of RMB590.69 billion and become a key element in the urban economic circle of Yangtze River Delta rapidly.
As a famous city in the south of Yangtze River with a history for
more than 2,300 years, Huzhou has been renowned for its silkworm cocoons as the 4,700 years old silks were unearthed here, and for its brush pens as the earliest Chinese brush pens were invested and crafted here, and for its bamboos as one tenth of bamboo produced in China are from here, and for its tea as the first ancient Tea Book of China was born here.
Geographical location
Geographically, Huzhou is between the east longitude 119°14' to 120°29'and the north attitude 30°22' to 31°11'. Huzhou's annual temperature averages 16.9°C, Annual rainfall is 1,126 mm with distinctive four seasons.
Climate
Huzhou's annual temperature averages 16.9°C, featuring distinct seasons, the coldest in January with average temperature of 3.9°C and the hottest in July with average temperature of 29.4°C. Annual rainfall and annual average rainfall days are 1,126 mm and 116 days respectively. The frost-free period is 224 - 240 days.
Population
Huzhou covers an area of 5,818 km2.The southwest of Huzhou is mountains and hills, and it is also the headstream of Shanghai Huangpu River. Its northeast part is a plain networked with rivers and lakes.
Total 2572100 (permanent residents)
Natural growth rate 0.149%
Sex distribution
Male 50.6%
Female 49.4%
Administration division
Under the jurisdiction of Huzhou City there are 3 counties and 2 county level districts, 60 towns and 6 urban residential districts.
Website of Deqing County：http://www.Deqing .gov.cn
Website of Anji County：http://www.anji.gov.cn/
Website of Changxing County：http://www.zjcx.gov.cn/
Website of Wuxing District：http://www.wuxing.gov.cn/
Website of Nanxun District：http://www.nanxun.gov.cn/
Natural Resources
Huzhou is a major producer of grains, silkworm cocoons, freshwater fishes, tea and bamboo in Zhejiang Province and even in China. The rivers and lakes gathering and abounding in water resources, Huzhou's water system is directly linked with Taihu Lake and Shanghai Huangpu water system. Huzhou has as many as 47 varieties of minerals including coals, irons, limestone etc., of which the limestone deposits are over 2 billion tons and cement limestone deposits share 40% of the total in Zhejiang Province, the fluorite deposits that have been probed occupies one third of the total in the province and 23% of China. Huzhou is also the only mine of wollastonites that has been probed in Zhejiang Province. The Changguang coal mine bordering with Anhui Province is the largest run coals base in the province. Besides, the deposits of marbles and granites of Huzhou are very rich as well.
Humane Historical Sites
Huzhou boasts a long history and an old culture. It has been founded for more
than 2,300 years of history since Huangxie, the Monarch Chunsheng of the Chu
State in Chinese history, built the lower Gu City. The ancient walls of the lower
Gu City is a rare ruin of ancient city in China and still remain intact surprisingly.
The ruins of Qianjin Town Pagoda are a large-sized ancient tribes ruins with the
deep cultural deposits originated from Liangzhu culture, Maqiao culture and
Majiabang culture, Songzhi culture and even later the printed pottery culture of
Zhou Dynasty. Huzhou is one of the places where the world silk culture was
born. The worm silk fabrics unearthed in Qianshan Lake that is located in the
suburbs of Huzhou City has a history of over 4,700 years. In the Chinese history
of literature and arts the fertile land of Huzhou fostered numerous eminent people
like Wu Changshuo, Yu Pingbu, Meng Jiao, Zhao Mengfu, Lu Yu, who have
profoundly influenced the Chinese and even world history of arts. These great
people in the Chinese history and the silk culture, writing brush culture, tea
culture and dietary culture have composed a unique, glamorous tourist resources
of humanity and history.
Culture and Arts:
Huzhou is known as the home of silk, land of abundance and state of culture. The city was first built in BC 333 and has a history of more than 2,300 years. Many historical sites in the city are preserved intact and Huzhou culture is profound.
Huzhou is one of the places where the silk culture was born and the famous silk road began from Huzhou in the east. The silk textiles unearthed in the suburb of the city is the earliest in the world with a history of 4,700 years. In Nanbei Dynasty the silk produced by Wukang, Wuxing County had been known in China. Huzhou was also the major producer of silk in Tang Dynasty and in Song Dynasty Huzhou silk were overwhelming in the China market. In the mid Ming Dynasty the Nanxun silk textiles were rising and even the emperor's apparels were made by Nanxun's silk. After the opium war Huzhou silk was the first product that was traded with foreign countries in the neoteric time. In 1910 Huzhou silk was granted the gold medal in Panama International Expo and in 1921 Nanxun silk businessman attended the first Universal Expo in New York.
Huzhou is also the birth place of tea culture and the tea producer in ancient time. The first tea literature was written by Lu Yu in Tang Dynasty with more than 1,000 years ago when he was reclusive in Huzhou. Zisun tea, Anji Baipian and Mt. Mogan tea are all the famous tea in China.
Huzhou was the investor of Huzhou brush pens. The brush pens, Hui inkers, rice papers and ink slabs are called the four treasures of the study in China. Huzhou brush pens, as a finest product, take the leadership among these four treasures and are the symbol of Chinese traditional pen-making techniques. Huzhou boasts a pen-making history of more than 2,000 years. There are more than 200 varieties of brush pens in Huzhou. They are loved by numerous calligraphers, painters and fans. |
